coloradopolitics.com

Colorado Republicans celebrate policy wins in 2024 legislative session

13May

By nadiaNo Comments

coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado Republicans celebrate policy wins in 2024 legislative session

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics House and Senate Republicans celebrated big policy wins during the 2024 legislative session, in particular focusing on property taxes and an income tax rate reduction. "I'm very happy at what our caucus was able to do," said House Minority Leader Rep. Rose Pugliese of Colorado Springs, who added that Republicans accomplished much in the 2024 session. Pugliese cited housing measures with Republican sponsorship, including include House Bill 1152, the accessory dwelling unit bill, and House Bill 1308, which would push the state's Division of Housing to move a little faster in releasing resources for affordable housing development. Pugliese also pointed to the income tax rate reduction in Senate Bill 228, which will lower the rate from 4.4% ...

Top Border Patrol officials say Biden appointees silenced them for years

11May

By nadiaNo Comments

coloradopolitics.com, National

Top Border Patrol officials say Biden appointees silenced them for years

By Anna Giaritelli | Colorado Politics The recently retired second in command of the U.S. Border Patrol said the Biden administration intentionally blocked him and others from engaging with the public, enacting robust protocols to sabotage media requests as millions surged across the southern border. In an interview with the Washington Examiner, recently retired Border Patrol Deputy Chief Matthew Hudak spoke out for the first time since his departure and accused White House appointees within the Department of Homeland Security of policing the police's media presence. "Dealing with this tidal wave of humanity that was hitting our border on a daily basis — very quickly, news stories, statements being put out condemning our agents, being critical of their eff...

Three takeaways from Colorado’s 2024 legislative session

9May

By nadiaNo Comments

coloradopolitics.com, State

Three takeaways from Colorado’s 2024 legislative session

By Colorado Politics Colorado policymakers wrapped up this year's legislative session on Wednesday night, following a hectic pace that saw them passing major proposals on housing, taxes and guns. Here are three takeaways: Lawmakers find agreement on difficult subjects Hot-button proposals from Democrats' progressive wing fail Property tax fight is far from over READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS

‘Hostile and discriminatory’: 10th Circuit slams CU for treatment of religious vaccine exemptions

8May

By nadiaNo Comments

coloradopolitics.com, State

‘Hostile and discriminatory’: 10th Circuit slams CU for treatment of religious vaccine exemptions

By Michael Karlik | Colorado Politics In a fiery opinion on Tuesday, the federal appeals court based in Denver tore into a pair of COVID-19 vaccination policies the University of Colorado imposed on medical staff in late 2021, concluding they discriminated against certain religions and affected plaintiffs were consequently entitled to exemptions. By 2-1, the all-Republican panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit directed unusually sharp barbs at each other and at the trial judge who initially declined to block the university's mandates. Judge Allison H. Eid, writing for the majority, believed the policies governing religious exemptions at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus were "permeated with animus." CU "has not even attempted to explain why its interest is served by...

Property tax bill on track to reach governor’s desk by final day of session

8May

By nadiaNo Comments

coloradopolitics.com, State

Property tax bill on track to reach governor’s desk by final day of session

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics With just one day left in the legislative session, an eleventh-hour property tax deal has unanimously cleared two House committees and secured approval at its second reading on the floor. The bipartisan Senate Bill 233, announced the day before, marks the culmination of months of conversations between the governor, legislators and groups like Colorado Concern, Colorado Counties Inc. and the Bell Policy Center. This bill gradually decreases commercial property assessment rates from 29% to 25% over three years and introduces two reductions in residential property valuations: from 6.8% to 6.7% for multifamily units and from 7.06% to 6.7% for all other residential properties. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS

Retiring Republican Doug Lamborn endorses Jeff Crank as his replacement in Colorado’s 5th CD

6May

By nadiaNo Comments

coloradopolitics.com, State

Retiring Republican Doug Lamborn endorses Jeff Crank as his replacement in Colorado’s 5th CD

By Ernest Luning | Colorado Politics Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn on Monday formally endorsed Republican Jeff Crank as his successor. Calling the political operative and former talk radio host "a man of integrity, conviction and solid family values," Lamborn said he's throwing his "total endorsement and full support" behind Crank, one of two Republicans running for the El Paso County-based congressional seat Lamborn has held for nine terms. Lamborn, who announced in January that he wouldn't seek reelection in the heavily Republican 5th Congressional District, said he decided to make the endorsement after watching the GOP primary unfold between Crank and Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams. Both candidates have lost hard-fought primaries to Lamborn over the years:...

Colorado lawmakers OK bills on AI, oil and gas, medical malpractice

6May

By nadiaNo Comments

coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado lawmakers OK bills on AI, oil and gas, medical malpractice

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics With the end of the legislative session looming closer, members of Colorado's state House worked on Sunday to debate bills, hold a committee hearing and advanced several measures. With a vote of 37-24, the House passed House Bill 1468, which aims to broaden the scope of the state's facial recognition software task force to include the study of additional facets of artificial intelligence and biometric technology. Lawmakers also adopted an amendment to allow the task force to study the effects of artificial intelligence and biometric technology on "vulnerable communities," addressing points raised by parties and Judiciary Committee members regarding what they described as potential biases against people of color in faci...

Bill to boost rural broadband, opposed by Polis administration, dies in committee

4May

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coloradopolitics.com, State

Bill to boost rural broadband, opposed by Polis administration, dies in committee

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics A panel of Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday rejected legislation that would have prohibited the Colorado Department of Transportation from charging annual fees for right-of-way access to deploy broadband networks in some of the most remote areas of rural Colorado. The Polis administration, which is pushing for high-speed broadband access to 99% of Coloradans in three years, opposed the measure. Introduced back in January, negotiations over Senate Bill 91 with the Colorado Department of Transportation — whose fees broadband providers claimed would make rural access unaffordable — delayed its first hearing until this week, just a few days before the end of the 2024 legislative session. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLIT...

Gov. Kristi Noem’s Colorado event canceled by Jeffco GOP amid dog-killing controversy

3May

By nadiaNo Comments

coloradopolitics.com, Northern Colorado

Gov. Kristi Noem’s Colorado event canceled by Jeffco GOP amid dog-killing controversy

By Colorado Politics (via Kyle Clark/9News) South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) will not speak as planned in Golden this week after the national outrage over her killing of a puppy created “safety concerns,” according to event organizers. Noem was scheduled to headline a fundraiser for the Jefferson County Republicans on Saturday. Early Friday morning, the group posted on social media that the event at the Denver West Marriott was canceled. “In the past few days, numerous threats and/or death threats have been made to our organization, the hotel, and to the Governor and her staff,” a Jeffco Republicans Facebook post read in part. “The Denver West Marriott also received alarming comments and shared with us their deep concern over the safety and security for those attend...

Colorado House approves bill to regulate funeral industry

2May

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coloradopolitics.com, State

Colorado House approves bill to regulate funeral industry

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics The bill to put Colorado's funeral home operators under state regulation for the first time in 40 years won near unanimous approval from the House Wednesday. Senate Bill 173 requires licensing for funeral directors, mortuary science practitioners, embalmers, cremationists, and natural reductionists. The licensing requirements are steep. The bill says perspective funeral industry professionals must apply, pay an application fee, pass a criminal history check and not be subject to discipline in another state. Those regulations go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. READ THE FULL STORY AT COLORADO POLITICS